I waited for Leopold's route to be released before playing the game and it was so worth it!
(SPOILERS BELOW FOR LEOPOLD'S ROUTE)
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For me, the difficulty level in terms of getting the best ending was just right. I had to backtrack at some parts, but the story and characters give enough hints at the theme of the choices you should be taking, e.g. Leopold telling Iolanthe to be discreet in the second half, or Iolanthe mentioning Francesca's easily wounded pride when dealing with her. (I do plan to use the guide to try and complete the endings though.)
The story! I like how the route follows up on Leopold's plans and the issues that would arise in his and Iolanthe's relationship considering that a significant part of his motivation is revenge. Reading about the political intrigue is fascinating, especially with how cunning Leopold is (and Iolanthe too, if she succeeds at the game's tasks). I love, love how the twist at the end of Act 1 was executed! The slow build up of dread, Leo's admission, Iolanthe's outburst! The raised stakes! And then you have to use your allies' help from Act 1 to succeed at the plot in the second half of the game, which is a really nice way of bringing everything together!
Next, Leopold and Iolanthe and their romance! I'll keep this short, otherwise I'll start quoting entire lines haha. Let me tell you, I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the whole route. Their banter was so cute and sweet! (Lmao @ Duchess Parisi catching them flirting outside the ballroom.) And the way Leopold made sure to make it very clear to everyone that Iolanthe was his equal and was very much in on the plan as he was!!!!!!!! And he will not tolerate any disrespect to her!!!! I also love those snippets about their life in Tremaine, like them drawing and painting together awwwww. And there's Iolanthe. Iolanthe!!!! When she declared she would save Leopold and Segunda!! And then she did!! The best ending was so deserved. Co-rulers in name and deed!! Holding hands together on their twin thrones!! Being very much in love all over the place while advancing their plans for Segunda. *chef's kiss*
(Pardon my exclamation marks. Ahem.)
Also,the question posed repeatedly: how far would Leopold go for revenge? Luckily, Iolanthe saves him before he has to find out on his best ending. So I tried doing the others, and I felt like I had to peek through my fingers picking all the wrong choices hahaha. The answer: definitely far, but not without remorse.
Onwards to playing the rest of Leopold's endings!! Even if they will break my heart. Also looking forward to playing the other routes and the eventual TTOW LI POVs! Thank you for this story!